Lubricating-oil-conservation attachment for gas-engines.



0. MAYPIELD. LUBRIOATING OIL CONSERVATION ATTAQHMENT FOR GAS ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1911.

Patented Dec 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0. MAYEIELD. LUBRIGATING OIL CONSERVATION ATTACHMENT FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 21, 1911.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913,

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Specification of Letters Patent. 1

PatentedEDecIQ, 1913.:

Application filed August 21, 1911. Serial No. 645,086.

To all iuk om it may concern Be it known that I, CHAMPION MAYFIELD,

a'citizen of the United States, residing at.

Brooking township, in the county of J ackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubriunderstood reference is In the said drawings,

eating 4 Oil Conservation Attachments for Gas Engines, of-jwhich the following is a specification. V *This invention relates to lubricating oil conservation attachments for gas engines, and has for its for preventing leakage of oil from the crank case through the crank shaft bearings and the valve lift and other openings.

A further object is to produce an attachment of the character mentioned which insures the replenishment of the oil in the crank case to compensate for that used for lubricating purposes.

With these objects in view and others as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a central vertical section of a gas engine equipped'with attachments embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is an enlarged vertical section of part of the governor of the attachment. Fig. 3, is a horizontal section on the line III-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is an elevation of a four-cylinder engine equipped with my attachment.

1 indicates the cylinders and 2 the crank case of a gas engine.

3 is the crank shaft, 4 the intake pipe, 5 the valve for and controlling the supply of as from the intake pipe to each cylinder, and 6 the exhaust pipe of the engine.

6 is the piston and 6" the rod connecting the piston with the crank shaft 3.

is unseated, 9 is 7 is the customary cam foroperating the lift 8 whereby the valve 5' of each cylinder the tubular guide forthe said lift and through which in the ordinary engine, lubricating oil leaks more or less.

10 isthe oil reservoir which may be of any suitable type and located at any desired 11 is the sight feed, 12 is a pipe leading from the reservoir to the sight feed, provided with the customary prevent back flow of oil.-

14 is a supply pipe leading from the sight chief object to provide means check valve 13 to 1 feed to. the crank case-to supply oil to the latterg the rapidity of the flow being controlled in the sight feed in the customary or any preferred manner, as the special con struction of the sight feed forms no part of the invention. 1

- 15. is the customary vented filling plug to admit air upon the bodyof oil in reservoir 10, the plug being removable to permit the reservoir to be charged with oil when" desired.

. 16 is the breather pipe 'communicating with the crank case, upper end with a branch pipe 17 A governor for maintaining a substantially constant vacuum in the crank case, is constructed as follows':= 18 ,is a 'casingprovided with aremovable perforated cap 19 and with a flexible diaphragm 20. The casing is provided with a bottom opening 21 vertically below the center of the diaphragm. It is also provided below said opening with a chamber 22 having a laterally-projecting arm 23 receiving one end of pipe 17-, -a in: said arm 23 is a perforated partition 2A and a check valve 25, the latter being capable of seating over the perforation of the partition and closing suchperforation. Screwed into the lower end of chamber 22 is a tubu lar bolt 26 engaged by a lock nut 27 adapted by engagement with bottom of the chamber, to prevent accidental movement of the said bolt. 28 is a bolt screwed in the bore or passage of the tubular bolt, and 29 isia lock nut engaging bolt 28 and the lower end of the tubular bolt to prevent accidental movement of bolt 28. 30 is a vertical stem extending through opening 21 and secured at its upper end to the diaphragm and fitting slidingly at its lower end in the bore or passage of the tubular bolt, and adapted at times to rest on bolt 28 and secured on said stem, is a valve 31 adapted to move toward and from and vary the capacity of opening 21. 32 is a collar secured on 'stem- 30 within chamber 22, and 33 is a helical spring sur roundingthe stem and bearing at its oppoi site ends against collar 32 an the adjacent end of the tubular bolt. At one side the casing is provided with a threaded opening 34 connected by a short pipe 35 with the intake pipe 4.

In the operation of the engine there is'always a partial vacuum in the intake pipe andas a result there will beva suction ore ated from the'crank case through pipe'lfi;

and provided nearits pipe 17, and the tubular arm 23, chamber 22 and the upper or diaphragm chamber of the governor and thence through pipe 35 to the intake pipe, which unseats the check valve 25. As a result of the creation of a partial vacuum in the crank case, air will be drawn into the same through the crank shaft bearings and the valve-lift and other openings, and thus guard against the escape of lubricating oil at such points. The partial vacuum in the crank case also results in drawing oil from the reservoir to compensate for that used in lubricating the crank shaft, the piston, and valve-lifts and other parts, and in this connection it will be noted that the check valve 13 prevents oil above or in advance of the same, draining back and thus insures the feed of oil to the crank case the instant the motor fact a connection large enough to carry suflicient air out of the" crank case at low speed would not be large enough for the purpose when the engine is operating at high speed, it being equally true that a connection large enough to accommodate high speeds would be too large for low speeds and hence result in the bearings running dry. To meet these conditions it is necessary to vary the capacity of the connection between the intake pipe and the crank case and this is accomplished by the governor. To adjust the governor, the motor is first run at high speed, and while thus operating, if oil escapes from the crank case, bolt 26 is screwed upward to increase the tension on the spring 33, until valve 31 uncovers opening 21 sufficiently to result in the production of sulficient vacuum in the crank case to arrest the leakage of oil therefrom. Lock nut 27 is then adjusted to secure the tubular bolt against further upward movement. The motor is then run at low speed and if oil leaks through the bearings or at other points, the bolt 28, is screwed upward until the leakage of oil is checked, and then the lock nut 29 is adjusted to prevent further upward movement of said bolt 28, it

ing apparent that the upward adjustment of bolt 28 diminishes the downward movement of the valve 31. With the governor thus adjusted to take care of high and low speeds, the diaphragm 20 and spring 33 will automatically regulate the vacuum in the crank case for all intermediatespeeds, it being obvious that as the speed of the engine diminishes, the atmospheric pressure depresses the diaphragm against the resistance of spring 33, and therefore diminishes the capacity of the opening or passage 21 by causing valve 31 to approach the same. On the other hand when the speed of the engine increases and .thevacuum'is less perfect, the spring 33 overcomes the atmospheric pressure on the diaphragm and raises the same so as to withdraw the valve 31 from opening I 21 and thus in effect increase the capacityof the latter. The check-valve 25 performs n0 indispensable function in a multiple cylinder engine but is desirable should the appliance be used upon a single cylinder engine, as in such case there is a perceptible period of time in which no suction is produced by the piston. During such period there is a possibility of the partial vacuum in the crank case sucking gas from the carbureter and it would be objectionable if for no other reason than on the score of economy, for gas to be sucked into the crank case once in each revolution of the crank shaft. Of course with a four-cylinder engine it would not be possible for gas to be sucked into thecrank'case because there is practically a continuous suction into one or another of the four cylinders of the engine, hence thecheck valve is always open.

From the, above description it will be apparent "that I have produced a lubricating oil conservation attachment embodying the features enumerated as desirable in the statementof the object of the invention and it is to be understood that. I reserve the right to make such changes in the detailed construc tion, arrangement and proportion of the a parts as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

- I claimz- 1-. The combination with a gas engine, of a connection establishing communication between the crank case and the intake pipe of the engine, and means whereby the capacity of the said connectlon is caused to vary inversely as the speed of the motor.

2. The combination with a gas engine, of a connection establishing communication between the crank case the engine, a valve for controlling the passpring and force the valve toward its seat.

he combination with a gas engine, of a connection establishing communication between the crank case and the intake pipe of the en ine, a valve for controlling the passage 0 air through said connection, a spring holding the valve off its seat, a diaphragm at times operated by atmospheric pressure to overcome the resistance of the spring and force vthe valve toward its seat, means for increasing the tension of said spring, and means to positively limit the action imparted to the-valve by the diaphragm;

4. The combination with a gas engine, of a connection establishing communication between the crank case and the intake pipe of the engine, a valve for controlling the passage of air through said connection, a spring holding'the valve ofi its seat, a diaphragm at times operated by atmospheric pressure to overcome the resistance of the springand force the valve toward its seat, means for increasing the tension of said spring, means to positively limit the action imparted to the valveby the diaphragm, and a check valve in said connection between the first-named valve and the crank case and adapted-to be In testimony whereof I afliX my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAMPION MAYFIELD.

Witnesses:

FRANK R. Gronn, G. THORPE. 

